 Peasants |  Pagans |  Pirates |  Pyrotechnics |
The sleepy English coastal town of Eastbourne, doesn't normally celebrate murder. (See photos.) But for hundreds of years, the Cult of the Sussex Martyrs annually celebrate the horrific burning to death of 17 people on a bonfire.
From September to November each year, "Bonfire Societies" parade through Sussex and Kent towns. Lewes alone has seven Bonfire Societies, each with dozens of members and its own ancient outfit, such as pirates, peasants, smugglers, or spooks. They take it in turns to parade through each others' streets, to celebrate religious murder.
History lesson... :-(
In 1553, after Mary Tudor, the Catholic daughter of King Henry VIII became Queen of England, she burned 288 Protestants for having different religious views. It earned her the name “Bloody Mary” - a famous drink nowadays!
The first person burnt in Lewes, was outside the Old Star Inn. As he was forced into a barrel on the pyre, he threw his bible into the crowd. His final words were: “Lord have mercy upon me, for unto thee I commend my spirit and my soul doth rejoice in thee!” His Bible is on display in Lewes Museum. His blood splatters the pages.
Four more Protestants died flaming deaths in Lewes, for rejecting Mass, and refusing to pray in a different language.
Despite these deaths, local 'heretics' still refused Catholicism. So came the largest human bonfire England has ever seen. Ten Protestants died in agony together, in the same flames. More were thrown to the flames later.
A few years later, Bloody Mary died, and the new queen, Queen Elizabeth 1, ordered Catholics out of England. So Bloody Mary's murders were useless.
The memory of the Lewes 17 is still celebrated with annual torchlight processions through Lewes which attract up to 80,000 people. Many other bonfire societies carry 17 flaming crosses.
Personally, I'd rather pray three times.
First that the souls of burned martyrs achieve happier destiny in the next life...
Second that Bloody Mary's soul learned lessons that murder cannot control a nation... and
Third, that anyone currently considering murder in the name of their religion, views history such as this, and sees murder never wins in the end.
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